


Plenty to be Thankful For

by Hils



Category: Merlin (TV) RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-22
Updated: 2008-12-22
Packaged: 2018-10-15 04:52:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10550382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hils/pseuds/Hils
Summary: Colin has always hated his ears...





	

He’d always hated his ears.

It had never really been an issue until he started school. Up until then he’d considered himself a pretty normal little boy, as most children do until they have to start mixing with large groups. Pretty soon he’d earned the unimaginative nickname of ‘Dumbo’, which haunted him until he left school to study Performing Arts.

He made sure his hair was long enough to cover his ears from there on. Until the audition for Merlin. It was all going well until they asked him to cut his hair for the final read-through. Apparently the directors had a very clear image of Merlin as a gangly and geeky looking boy, which also included a bad haircut.

He did it of course; he’d have been a fool not to, and he got the part but he felt naked and exposed in a way that he hadn’t felt since the first boy at school had pointed at him and laughed.

He’d dreaded meeting his cast mates. He was sure they’d be entirely professional around him, but he could just imagine the sort of jokes that would be made behind his back. It was just the nature of the business.

What he hadn’t expected was Bradley James.

“Sorry, I can’t understand a word you’re saying,” Bradley said when Colin had tried to politely introduce himself. He couldn’t decide whether Bradley was joking or not so he slipped into his ‘Merlin’ accent and tried again.

“Nice to meet you,” Bradley had said with a grin. “I don’t suppose you could talk like that all the time?”

When he dropped back into his natural accent and told Bradley, very politely, to piss off Bradley had laughed and assured him they were going to be good friends.

He wasn’t wrong. Pretty soon they were spending all their spare time together, mostly to come up with new and genius pranks to play on their cast mates or figuring out new hiding places for Antony’s DS. Colin found he’d quickly forgotten about any insecurities he might have had.

“Your ears are brilliant,” Bradley announced one day in between scenes. “They should have their own TV show.”

“Fuck off,” Colin grumbled, his face flushing red as several of the nearby crew started to look at him. It was like school all over again. Soon there would be name-calling and teasing and…was Bradley stroking his ears?

“Sorry,” Bradley said when Colin looked at him. “I couldn’t help it.”

“Yeah, well keep your hands to yourself,” he snapped. It was the first time he’d yelled at him since they met, but if Bradley was bothered he didn’t let it show. He simply took a step back and nodded. Before either of them could say anything else it was time to film the scene and by the time they were done Colin announced that he wasn’t feeling well and went straight to his room.

* * *

When the knock came at the door half an hour later he attempted to ignore it. When the knocking continued he marched to the door with the intention of telling Bradley to fuck off and to fuck himself while he was at it.

“Hi,” Katie said when he threw open the door. “I heard Bradley was being a twat again today. Just wanted to make sure you’re all right and to offer to kick the shit out of him if needed. Angel says she’ll help.”

He sighed and smiled. “Thanks, but I’m fine.”

“Ok,” she nodded. “But the offer stands. I’ll make sure to bruise him in places where it won’t show up on camera.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “Thanks. I’ll get back to you on that.”

Almost as an afterthought she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “See you tomorrow.”

As he closed the door he decided that maybe not everyone here was a complete asshole. It was just Bradley.

Another knock came a few minutes later and he figured Katie had forgotten something. He certainly wasn’t expecting to find Bradley on his doorstep holding up a pack of beer.

“Peace offering,” he said, clearly doing his best to turn on his infamous charm.

Colin raised an eyebrow. “You know, Katie and Angel have offered to kick the shit out of you. Maybe I should call them.”

“You could do that,” Bradley replied. “But there’s a chance that, in the scuffle, I might drop the beer and it would be a shame to waste it don’t you think?”

“Fine,” he sighed. “Come in.”

Bradley stepped almost tentatively into the room and set the beer down on the desk.

“Look, I’m sorry about before. I really wasn’t taking the piss, for once. I think your ears are really hot.”

“Hot?” Colin repeated. “Ok, now I know you’re taking the piss. They make me look like a geek.”

He felt himself flush red again when he noticed Bradley was staring at him. “What?”

“Do you really think that?” Bradley asked in a voice more soft and gentle than Colin had ever heard him use before.

“Well, look at me!”

“I do,” Bradley said. “All the time. More than I should. You really have no idea how gorgeous you are, do you?”

He stepped close to him and for a moment Colin thought he was going to kiss him. He was slightly surprised to find that he wouldn’t have minded if he did. Instead Bradley reached up and lightly traced one finger over the curve of his ear. It tickled and made him shiver at the same time.

Bradley smiled. “Don’t ever be ashamed of the way you look. You’re perfect.”

Then he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Colin’s earlobe. It was the first time anyone had ever kissed him there and it felt…strange, but good. His eyes drifted shut as Bradley started to nibble at the lobe before nipping all the way around the edge of his ear.

When Bradley drew back and smiled he couldn’t help himself, he pulled him close and crushed a kiss onto his mouth, suckling on Bradley’s lower lip until his co-star started to groan.

“Well, you’ve got dubious taste,” he said with a grin when he pulled back and saw Bradley’s flushed face. “But at least I’ve figured out how to shut you up for a little while.”

“Absolutely,” Bradley replied with a smile. “And you can never have too much of a good thing, don’t you think?”

“Are you talking about yourself you egotistical bastard? Am I going to have to kiss you again?”

“Please, do. For both our sakes.”

And so Colin did.

Bradley never mentioned Colin’s ears again after that night, not in public at least. What they said and did when they were alone together was an entirely different matter. Colin certainly didn’t feel embarrassed about them anymore. In fact, when they were naked and Bradley was flicking his tongue over Colin’s ear he gave a silent prayer of thanks that he had been born this way.

He was sure that if Bradley were capable of coherent speech at this point he’d have joined him.

The End


End file.
